Dice Shipping Tips and Tricks

Before I joined the DMC, I barely ever shipped anything.But after a few weeks in the DMC, I started doing trades and eventually some sales in the Dice Market group.Since then, I’ve learned a lot about shipping dice.I’m sure there’s more out there to learn, but here are some useful tips and advice for shipping dice out.

Keeping Costs Down

A great way to save costs is to keep dice in bubble mailers.A common reason to use a smaller box instead of a mailer is to ship the cubes that dice like Chessex, Halfsies, and some Koplow come in.If you’re doing a trade or just swapping with someone who has some extra boxes, you might ask to just send the dice and inserts (labels) without the box.For example, I don’t keep my dice in boxes, so I’m fine with people shipping dice to me not in packaging.Boxes make a difference in shipping costs due to weight, and they can often crack in shipping.

Another easy way to keep costs down when shipping is to hit up the dollar store – not Dollar General, but stores like the Dollar Tree where items are literally a dollar.I tend to buy bubble mailers from there because they have packs of two for a dollar.These cheap mailers are usually just a bit more padded than a regular envelope, but there are also usually bubble mailers (the ones here are usually bright red) for a dollar that are a little more secure.

Tape can also be purchased from a dollar tree type store, but I caution you there.I actually prefer to spend the money on a bit nicer packing tape just because I’m willing to spend a little more to avoid swearing at the tape as it peels off in thin fringes.However, if you’re careful and patient, you can save some money buying tape at a dollar store, too.

Convenience

My post office is about 20 minutes from my house.To avoid the drive when I don’t need to leave, I print out labels from PayPal.It’s really not hard!The only thing is that you’ll have to estimate weight if you don’t have a shipping scale. If you ship often, it may be worth getting a shipping scale to get the weight exact. MAKE SURE you 1) set it to first class, and 2) set the DATE to the appropriate day it’s getting picked up.If you print it out at 11 o’clock at night, for example, make sure you change the date to the NEXT day.

If you’re mailing a lot of dice, flat rate boxes are an option.I recommend putting the dice in a box and just having the address handy when you go to the post office.Ask them to let you know how much it would be to mail in a regular box, and they’ll usually weigh it and give you a price.That way you can opt for a flat rate box if it’s cheaper to flat rate box the shipment.Sometimes it isn’t cheaper to do it that way.But – handy tip – you can request that the post office drops off some flat rate boxes for free (usually in sets of 10).It’s nice to have extras around sometimes!

Ship Securely!

Protecting dice is key.1) Do not ship dice loosely just in the mailer.Put them in a zip bag, drawstring bag, or wrap them in plastic.2) Consider wrapping everything in a plastic bag, especially if you’re shipping several sets.These steps are to prevent dice from falling out if there’s damage to the box or mailer.3) Take a picture of everything you’re sending.4) Take a picture of the receipt from the post office.These steps are in case something gets lost.

International Shipping

International shipping is awfully expensive. If you’re mailing even a few dice from the States to a European country, for example, it’s still going to run I’d guess between $12-15.That’s why it’s worthwhile to trade in large bunches if sending overseas.However, you can put a few d6s in a regular envelope.Note that it’s high risk to do that.They can get damaged easier, and you never know if they’re going to arrive safely or if they’ll have extra postage due upon arrival.Do this at your own risk.

Side note about Australia:Australia is the most expensive place I’ve ever shipped dice to.So think critically before trading or selling with an Australian location.And know that if someone quotes you a large price to ship to or from Australia – it’s not their fault.It really is that high.Yes, even for Kickstarters.Yes, even for Australian-friendly KSes.I’m sure there are some similar expensive locations in Eastern Europe and Asia.Just be aware that even a small bubble mailer can cost upwards of $20.

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3 thoughts on “Dice Shipping Tips and Tricks”

Saving More Money means Buying More Dice: You mentioned convenience of using Paypal to make labels, but it’s also cheaper! Over the course of many trades, the savings can add up, leaving you with enough money to buy more dice! 😀

Pet Peeve #1: Paper envelopes – I can’t handle dice being mailed to me in plain paper envelopes; it makes my skin crawl to think of what could happen to them along the way. For $8 you can grab a 50-pack of bubble mailers from Amazon which really keeps cost down ($0.16 each). I use bright pink to make them very visible in case they get lost or stuck in a mail bin. (which according to the guy at the post office happens frequently)

Pet Peeve #2: No tracking – If you opt to not have tracking there is no proof for the shipper that the items were received and no recourse for the recipient if they never get the shipment.

Picky Post Office People: Also note that some post offices are picky about you having selected the right zip code to ship from. For instance, I work in one zip code and live in another. When I make my labels on Paypal I have to make sure I indicate which zip code I’ll actually be shipping from. I’ve nearly had packages rejected because the zip code was for my home and not my work which is where I was when I went to drop them off.

If you are shipping internationally, have them read the address back to you!

I shipped from the US to Canada, which meant filling out a customs form that included the recipient’s address. What I didn’t notice, was that one number on the Unit for their complex was slightly cut off. This caused MOTHS of shipping delays. And let me say, the post office does Not go out of their way to update you on an issue. Nor are they entirely helpful in fixing the problem. It might be awkward to ask, “Could you please read that back to me?” once they manually input the address into the computer, but it could save you and the person you’re trading with a lot of frustration.

Add some bulk to the inside of that bubble mailer. Bubble wrap, a used bubble mailer cut and taped around the dice, even an old grocery bag. Anything to add bulk but not weight. The more flat the bubble mailer the more likely it is to get lost in transit. The few items that have gotten lost that have been mailed to me have been due to flat envelopes that got misplaced and showed up weeks later.